In recent years, there has been a substantial increase in the use of automated teller machines (ATMs). These machines have been used to both dispense money and to receive deposits. The deposits can consist of various sized checks, money orders, currency and the like. To accept the different sized paper in the apparatus, the ATM customer is often asked to utilize an envelope for holding the deposit. The machine often holds envelopes for this purpose which may be stored in a compartment in the machine. If this compartment is freely accessible, the envelopes in such a compartment can sometimes be stolen or vandalized.
In the past some ATMs have been equipped with a locking door limiting access to the envelope compartment. These doors in the prior art have been typically of two types. The first door is of the flip up variety, and the second is a slide door. The flip up door is often arcuate shaped and counter weighted, and utilizes directly linked actuation means to both open and close the door. Alternatively, flip up doors may be manually actuated. The flip up door can be bulky and takes up considerable space inside the machine. Some such doors may be prone to jamming due to the direct linkage and customers interfering with or opposing the force of the actuation means.
The slide door variety is also closed by directly linked actuation means and is maintained in position by a mechanism or frictional forces between the slide door and the frame of the door. The slide door is less bulky than the flip up door but may also be prone to jamming because of the direct linkage. In addition some slide doors are difficult to operate due to the friction between the door and the frame.
As a result, there exists a need for an access door for use in conjunction with an envelope dispenser for an automated teller machine that is compact, easy to operate, which cannot be jammed by customer error, and which can be locked in a closed position.